Why is this hobby and all of its' participants always such doom and gloom?

Because of the absurd price increases all across the hobby, with little added value or innovation. What is there to be happy about while paying $75 for an at-most $30 figure, especially when produced by a company that isn't even paying licensing fees?

If you can't afford stuff, then move on, and find a new hobby. Toys aren't a necessity. They're a luxury, and some people seem to forget that.

If you don't want to pay that much for figures, then don't. There will be plenty of others who will, and you (not aimed at anyone specific, by the by), will have less of a headache.

ORRRRRR....

If there's a figure that you know is coming out, and you really want it, but it's too expensive for you-- plan it out responsibly, put a few bucks aside each paycheck, and save up for it. Or ask for it for a birthday, or Christmas if you personally don't want to pay for it.

I just don't understand the need to complain about it. What good is that going to do? DC isn't going to miraculously turn around and change the price point.

And besides, many online stores are sticking with the 50-60 dollar range for this one. Hell, DC's MSRP could be a mistake for all we know.

And if DC decides to do a Grundy, and Clayface...don't be surprised to see it at around this price point, too.

That way there won't be that sticker shock for you.

In the end, these are toys, for God's sake. It's all meant to be for fun. Some of you just take it way, WAY too seriously. Hell, I love Hot Toys stuff. I don't own any of their figures, as much as I'd love to. Why? Because I'm not forking over 300 dollars for a single figure that I could be spending on 20 figures. And you don't see any whining from me. Be happy. Lighten up.

Respectfully, if we feel like as though the collectors are being subjected to price gouging, we have the right to speak up. Yes, toys are not a necessity, but I believe that we leave the descriptive noun "toys" behind when we talk about these prices. Yes, we can all vote with our wallets and with our feet; i.e., ya don't have to pay and you can always walk away. And not all of us have the luxury of being able to keep up with these, shall we say, brisk price increases, nor do we have relatives able to pick up our slack at birthday time. Ultimately, the market will decide if the company will get away with the price.

My point, though (and I do have one) is that this is a TOY COLLECTOR FORUM. This is where we lovers of the hobby come to broogle and moan to each other, on any topic, including rising prices, lousy paint applications, joints that pop apart when you try to take Batman out of the package -- you name it. As you would tell us to move on and find another hobby, I would (again, with respect) tell you not to bother reading what we're saying if you don't like it. Find a forum topic more to your liking. But don't come in here with fewer than a dozen posts and broogle at us to find another hobby, OK? We have the right to complain to each other, just as you have the right not to like it, but we've been having these "Gee, ain't it awful" conversations here for YEARS. It just seems to be how this community works, and bonds ... but it does work, for some of us at least. Thanks for your time.

Well, and as you claimed, respectfully (which you can keep, seeing as how you proved it to be bull**** not even two sentences later)......the name of Blanka is synonymous with myself, Rick.... who has used it on many of forums since 1998. Many people here know me, dating back to the original Raving Toy Maniac, when Jeff Cope ran it. They watched me grow up from a teenager, to a now 30 year old married man. The amount of my posts here has no bearing on the weight or impact of what I'm saying. It doesn't lessen my "geek credentials" by having fewer than ten posts. So we can throw that argument straight out of the window. Hate that "go to" anyway.

That's for starters.

Secondly, yes, this is a toy forum. Meant to talk about toys. What's coming out, what you plan on picking up. Etc, etc. But a few too many of you (and not just here, on ALL of the forums), act as if you have to decide between eating that week, or picking up a toy. Nothing is ever that serious, especially in relation to this hobby. No one is FORCING you to buy anything. No one is FORCING you to maintain this as a hobby. So, why feel the need to come here (or anywhere) and complain? If this place was meant for bitching, then hey, set up a seperate bitching section, because I don't (and I'm sure there are others) want to hear it, see it,read it. Negativity is an ugly trait, remember that.

And the loudest, most vocal group of complainers/negative harbringers of any community are in our little nerd community. Toy and comic book nerds are never happy. They are never pleased. And they always seem to retract, or backtrack without apologies when they are proven wrong. It's just a constant, never ending cycle. And I understand that last part. That it never ends. I know I will single-handedly not be able to change that. And I'm not trying to. But damn, if I won't just try to put things in perspective a bit from time to time.

And just as you claim to have the right to broogle, and pleeple, and moan (like impetulant children)--I have every single right in the world to ask for a little levity, and to break it up a bit. They're toys. Little play things. Trying to chill out every once in a while was a mere suggestion. Be happy with what you have in life, and things will end up a lot sunnier for you. I have *shelves* full of some of my favorites characters in the world in toy form. Why complain about that?

So, don't come here, with your far too many posts, and tell me what I should do. I had the respect to not demand you change your means of conveyance. I merely offered some alternate suggestions to eliminate the need for complaint. Don't disrespect me by demanding that I change my manner of communication. As I said, you can keep you hollow "with respects", because you went on to throw them out the window along with the "fewer than a dozen" posts argument.

And get back to the subject at hand which is valid sticker shock over one of the most expensive DC Direct/DC Collectibles action figure so far, deluxe or otherwise. The only action figure they have released I can think of that was more (not counting things like the 13" figures) was that set of "how action figures get made" Kingdom Come Superman set, but even that we 3 figures, a display and a book (and a COA).

I was all ready to come in here and add my voice to the cries of 'it's too expensive! How dare they!'... and then I remembered that I paid $50 each for the SE Playarts Arkham Asylum Batman and the Joker.... so....

I dunno. I love this version of Joker. 50-60-75......don't care. I'm buying it. And when (yes, I have a nagging suspicion at SDCC we will see at least Grundy, if not both he and Clayface).....I'll buy those at whatever price point they set those at, too.